Response by Bhai Kulbir Singh

ਜੋ ਹਮ ਕੋ ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਉਚਰਿ ਹੈਂ ॥ ਤੇ ਸਭ ਨਰਕਿ ਕੁੰਡ ਮਹਿ ਪਰਿਹੈਂ ॥

Baba Ishar Singh Kalera did a very interesting meaning of this Pankiti. The meanings done are emotional meanings and not necessarily in accordance to Viyakaran. He says that "all those who call us God will be away from hell (Narak Kund)". He has interpreted the verb "ਪਰਿਹੈਂ" as "ਪਰੇ ਹੈਂ" i.e. away. The problem with this meaning is that firstly, Guru Sahib would never make such a statement about his own self; secondly the presence of ਮਹਿ does not allow us to derive this meaning. In any case, the intention of Baba Ishar Singh was only good.

Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee has done the meaning of this Pankiti somewhere and basically he has written that Guru Sahib has always promoted the worship of Vaheguru. Guru Sahib did not make us chant "Dhan Guru Nanak" but made us chant the Naam of Parmeshar. When Guru Sahib gave us the Quomi Jaikaara, He did not ask to so say "Jai Guru Gobind Singh" or anything of this sort but gave us Hukam to say "Sat Sri Akal" which is glorifying Vaheguru. Guru Sahib wanted us to worship Vaheguru and not start considering the Punj-Bhootak body (body of 5 elements i.e. the physical body) as God, as it happened with Hindus who worship Siri Krishna as God.

Vaheguru is the Guru-form but whole of Vaheguru did not become constrained in the body of Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee or other Guru Sahibaan. The omnipresence of Vaheguru did not suffer when the Guru form of Vaheguru - Satguru - came in 10 forms. In order to avoid the Sikhs from making the mistake that Hindus made by considering the physical body of Siri Krishna as God, Guru Sahib instructed us to not call Siri Guru Gobind Singh jee as God.

Guru Sahib knows better.

Kulbir Singh

Response by Bhai Bijla Singh

uru Sahib did not want His Sikhs to start idolizing Him and worship Him because such would’ve implied that Guru Sahib is a separate entity. Many Sikhs these days paint pictures and make statues of Guru Sahib because they do not understand that Shabad is the Guru not the physical body. This is why Guru Sahib warns Sikhs that no one should consider Him a God lest some start idolizing Him and worship his physical form. The quote doesn’t change the fact that Guru and God are one Jot. Guru is not a separate entity in any way. There is a sakhi that when Guru Gobind Singh Ji declared that He would be leaving his body, some Sikhs jumped to grab His feet but they could not. When Sikhs asked, Guru Sahib replied that His physical body was not the Guru nor should they ever think that the physical body is worthy of adoration.

Take an example of Muslims. They claim they worship Allah only who is one yet they always praise Mohammad separately. Even though they consider Mohammad a human but due to his supposed prophethood, his name is always recited in Kalima. Such an association itself is shirk. In Guru Nanak Chamatkar, Bhai Veer Singh writes an interesting conversation that took place between Guru Sahib and a Muslim saint. To put it briefly, Guru Sahib said that God is one and except one there is nothing else. Muslim agreed but also said Mohammad is the messenger. Then Guru Sahib asked, “If there is only one then how can there be two?” His point was that praising Mohammad separately goes against the Oneness of God. This is exactly Guru Sahib wanted His Sikhs to avoid.

Sikhs only worship Vaheguru. He is one with Satguru but worship of Satguru separately is against Gurmat. Guru Sahib did not want Sikhs to ever hold physical body of any importance. Jot of Satguru comes from Vaheguru. Therefore, worship of Vaheguru is inclusive of worship of Satguru. Sikhs bow to Guru Granth Sahib Ji because it contains Shabad. If one was to put together a book with same size and number of pages as that of Guru Granth Sahib Ji but not write any Shabad in it, it would not be of any value to the Sikhs because it will not have the Jot. Paper, ink, binding etc. becomes sacred because of the Shabad. Similarly, physical body was bowed to by the Sikhs as long as it housed the Jot and as soon as it was passed over to the next successor, the Sikhs did not bow to it anymore. On similar lines, Guru Gobind Singh Ji (as a historical personality) should not be worshipped because such amounts to holding Him distinct from Vaheguru. I hope this makes sense. Bhai Randhir Singh has also discussed the quote. I think the book is Naam Tay Naam Da Daata Satguru. But I will have to check to confirm.

I have heard from a companion of Sant Kartar Singh that he used to say that the Jot of Satguru did not enter the womb of Mata Tripta Ji. It waited outside and as soon as the physical body came out, the Jot entered it. Guru Rakha